The Governor's Inn - Tallahassee's Finest

We just came back from the capital city of Florida, Tallahassee, where we stayed at the lovely Governor's Inn, a block from the state Capital Building and in the charming center of town at 209 S. Adams Street.

The Governor's Inn is a favorite among both legislators and lobbyists, with its proximity to thesState capital building. It is also a favorite lodging of choice for alumni and parents of students from nearby Florida State University, Tallahassee Community College and Florida A&M. During late summer and all during fall football season, it is almost impossible to find an available room during game weekends, parent's weekends and homecoming in this college town. Regulars often book up to a year in advance for special football weekends. We went up a week earlier than the normal beginning of the fall frenzy to visit our son and his wife who had just relocated to Tallahassee, so we were not only able to get an available room, but to get it at an incredible rate, as part of their summer special.

The Governor's Inn is a small boutique hotel consisting of 41 rooms, many of them suites. We opted for one of their least expensive rooms, because of the wonderful special the hotel was offering for these room types. Our room was small, what the hotel refers to as an atrium room, but it was furnished beautifully, with antique-looking wood furniture, a queen sized four poster bed, an armoire holding a small flat screen television, two chairs, a nice-sized closet and an adequate, partially refurbished , and clean bathroom.. The wallpaper, bed linens, and special touches helped to compensate for the size of the room. There was a mini bar and complimentary small bottles of water left out for us every morning free of charge. Our room was rather dark, with just one small window looking out on a wall.

But at $88.00 a night it was a good value. The hotel overall was lovely, with bright , skylight-lit hallways and a lovely lounge area where a complimentary cocktail hour was served each evening from 5:00 to around 7:00. A bountiful continental breakfast is served in this same lounge area each morning from 7:30 to 9:30, also included in the room rate. The offerings included fresh fruit, yogurts, cereal, toast, orange juice, and a delicious assortmant of pastries and bagels. These included some amazing muffins and muffin tops. There was also both a coffee and tea service set up, with a wide choice of flavored teas.

I peeked into one or two vacant suites and larger rooms and they looked lovely. Each room and suite is named after a former governor of Florida. Several had French doors that overlooked a courtyard. There are five different room types. Many have separate seating areas, some are two level lofts, and one even had a wood-burning fireplace, which is rather a special treat in Florida.

These rooms and suites are offered starting at about $200 a night and going up from there to the largest suite which was several hundred dollars a night, depending on the time of year.

Some of the other nice touches of the Governor's Inn are complimentary valet parking, a free USA Today or Tallahassee Democrat offered each morning, free Wi-Fi internet service, and cable TV offering many choices, including HBO and ESPN. There is also turn-down service, but the housekeeper only showed up one evening. I imagine the suites and more expensive rooms would receive priority on that particular service. But the daily morning housekeeper kept everything fresh and clean during our four night stay. One of the biggest plusses of this wonderul property was the friendliness of the staff. All of the people working at the hotel provided a perfect example of what southern hospitality is all about. The desk clerks, the valets, and the staff helping out during the breakfast and cocktail hour made us feel like special guests staying in their home.

An interesting note about this property was that the cast and crew of the HBO movie Recount all stayed here and several of the scenes from the movie were filmed here. There is a picture in the hotel lobby of several of the cast members including Kevin Spacey posing here.

Governor's Inn is considered by most visitors to Tallahassee to be its premier property. We had a lovely stay, which was enhanced by its friendly, hospitable staff. Its 41 room offerings run the gamut from intimate and reasonably priced to expansive suites, all keeping that feel of Southern charm while providing every comfort. I would stay here again on my next visit , but I will have to really book early to secure a room in this lovely boutique hotel!